The Hunger Games: Drowning the the Ashes
by SinisterBree
Summary: What if Katniss Everdeen was the lone victor of the 74th Hunger Games? In her experience, Peeta not only died, but betrayed District 12 and Katniss. Katniss is now returning home from her victory tour, and soon she will be thrown back into the madness of the Hunger Games, but not as a tribute... Rated T for violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: This story is set after The first Hunger Games book, and takes the sport of Catching Fire.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games trilogy or any of it's characters.**

Chapter One:

_"__Katniss! Katniss!" My body stiffens; there is only one tribute in the whole arena who would call my name with such fear. _

_"__Rue!" I scream, rushing towards where her cries came from. Prickle bushes cut my legs but I ignore the pain and keep running. I can see the clearing, and hear her scream again. _

_"__I'm coming Rue!" I yell, pushing myself to the limit. I finally reach her, tangled in a dirty net. I quickly pull out my knife and start cutting. _

_"__It will be ok…" I say half to myself as I eventually get her free. I pull the net off her with shaking hands and ask "Who did this to you?" Under her fear I can see another type of sadness. _

_"__It was-" She is cut short by an enormous rock being thrust into her. _

_My eyes open wide. _

_"__Rue?" I whimper but I know it is no use. That rock pierced her skin from the back, all the way through to the other side._

_"__No…" I whisper. As her eyes start to close, she grasps my hand. _

_"__You have to win Katniss…" She whispers and I nod, tears falling. _

_"__I promise Rue, I'll win for both of us" She smiles in a sad way._

_"__Thank you" she says before closing her eyes forever._

_I look at her body, my face feels numb. I use some of the water in my pack to clean the blood from her chest. I stand up, and walk to a nearby patch of wild flowers. I pick a generously large bunch and return to her lifeless body. I carefully place some through her dark hair, and cover her hideous wound and around her body. When I am finished I stand and press my three middle fingers on my left hand to my lips and hold them out in her direction._

_"__I promise I'll win Rue… I promise…" and I walk away, not looking back._

_I walk until my feet go numb, and I keep walking. Eventually night falls and I find a tree to climb. I climb until I reach the highest branch that will support me and keep me shrouded, then the tear start to fall. I cry and cry for what feels like hours, until I have no tears left. Slowly my sadness turns to anger and hatred._

_"__Whoever did that to Rue will pay" I mutter under my breath. I spend the next hour eating and drinking. Whoever did that to Rue must have been strong. I consider Cato, but if he had done it I'm sure he would have stayed to finish me off too. My eyes start to droop, falling into a thoughtless trance-like state._

_I wake up out of my daze to the sound of footsteps, and look up to see night has almost fallen. I look down to the ground to see Clove and Cato talking to someone. I can't see who that person is from my angle, but decide it is too risky to move to have a look._

_ "__Is she dead?" Clove asks. Instantly I know they are talking about Rue._

_ "__Didn't you hear the cannon? I stabbed the rock right through her, and Katniss was there too." Says a mysterious voice. I'm too tired to think clearly, but I know I have heard this person's voice before. _

_"__Did she see you?" Cato asks._

_"__Nah, she was too busy sulking about the death of her little ally, I decided that if I killed her then, it would have taken away all the fun."_

_All three of them laugh, and I realise who is talking. The words coming out of his mouth make no sense, but I can't deny it. He moves slightly, and my thoughts are confirmed. The savage who killed my ally is Peeta Mellark._

I wake up gasping for breath, thankfully from experience I have taught myself not to scream so I don't worry or annoy anyone. My eyes dart around the room and I remember that I have long left the arena. I am in my cabin on the train that is taking me home from my victory tour. I sit up and wipe the sweat from my face, the memories from the arena burning in my mind. My nightmares have gotten worse since I ran out of the medicine my mother had packed for me.

I remember the interviews before the games, and Peeta saying he loved me. I never at first believed him, and it turns out I was right all along. He was a traitor. A heartless liar. He used my trust to get in with the careers so he could have a better chance of survival, and obviously didn't mind doing their dirty work.

I get out of bed and walk to the shower, turning it on. I undress and step inside, trying to let my troubles wash away with the layer of sweat that coats my body, letting them go slowly down the drain, but I can't. I feel the anger and loss build up inside me, and I let out an ear-spitting scream. No one comes to see what is wrong, which is what I asked yesterday when it happened. Their sympathy makes me feel less angry.

Tributes from the same district usually help each other, or at least don't plot against their district partner like Peeta did, so my prep team and everyone else from the Capitol I came in touch with tried to comfort me. But my retaliation was much worse, and I fear that I am not alone in thinking I am mentally unstable.

I step out of the shower and turn it off. I walk back to my room pull some fresh clothes out of the cupboard. A simple lemon t-shirt and blue pants, accompanied by a pair of sandals I hadn't noticed until now. I put them on and see my mockingjay pin on the desk. I pick it up and hold it between my middle finger and thumb, before putting it on. A gift from my friend Madge, if I could call her that, back home in District 12. The thought of returning to District 12 makes me feel strange. Hunting with Gale, seeing my sister Prim and my Mother again, the last time I saw them was after the Hunger Games had ended, and I had spent most of my time in the woods alone until the victory tour.

Being on tour was strange for me, but I think it went pretty well. It could have gone a lot worse than it did, but Effie gave me some cards to read out, which I was thankful for. Visiting District 11 was painful for me, and obviously Rue's family as well. The night we left District 11 I had terrible nightmares about the games, and woke up much like I did today.

I softly bite my lower lip. Soon the 75th Hunger games will begin, and I will have to coach a girl tribute, like Haymitch had to do with us. It is nice to know that Haymitch will only have to coach one tribute this year, rather than two like he has done in previous years. I will have to give them advice, and once the games have really begun, get them sponsors. The thought of it makes me twitch. I wonder how Haymitch did it for all those years. I immedietly answer my own question. Alcohol.

I leave the room and head to the dining hall to find Haymitch, Cinna, Effie and my prep team all sitting enjoying breakfast. They all look up when I arrive.

"Good morning Katniss!" Effie says beaming. "Did you have a good sleep?"

"Yes, thank you" I lie, knowing they can all see right through me.

I take a seat and load up my plate with eggs, sausages and small bread rolls that resemble a flower that I have seen in the capitol on one occasion.

After a while of small talk over breakfast I look out the window and notice that we are close to District 12, Effie sees where I am looking and says "We will be back in District 12 in a couple of hours Katniss" and I nod, smiling gratefully at her, then excuse myself and return to my room before anyone else can talk to me. I have some straightening out to do before I can bear to face my family again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

**Note to readers: I am so excited for this story! Some readers may find this a bit depressing, so read with care. Please read and review so I know what to work on, now enjoy this chapter...**

_Peeta Mellark killed Rue, but not because she was a threat to him, because he, along with the careers are plotting against me. _

_"__It was good thinking a few days ago to keep enough long lasting food for ourselves in case something happened, instead of relying of what we find from tributes we kill, Peeta." Clove says fiddling with one of her knives lazily. "That could have been bad." _

_"__Yea," Cato agrees. "I only grabbed a hand full of berries from our resources before they exploded, and who knows where we will find another bush with some of these" He says pulling out a large hand full of dark berries. I smirk. Cato and the others must be pretty inexperienced with berries to think they can eat those, do they even know that even if they eat one Nightlock berry, they will all die?_

_An idea sparks in my mind. If I can get them to eat those berries, they will all be gone._

_"__Let's go get some firewood to light a fire. Maybe it will draw some tributes out of their hiding places; I haven't killed anyone in a while." Cato says and they all nod in agreement and walk away. I can feel the adrenaline rushing through me. This is my chance. I tie some wire from my pack onto an arrow, and aim at the pack Cato was carrying. A direct hit. I pull up his pack and rummage through it, taking all of his food except three small rolls and placing them carefully a separate compartment of my bag. I don't trust the careers enough to eat their food, not matter how desperate I become, I can dispose of it later. I take extra caution to drop Cato's bag into the same spot I took it from. I have to slightly adjust myself so it doesn't alert the Careers with too much noise, and when I hear Cato, Clove and Peeta return, my eyes sparkle with malice. _

_I watch them try to light their fire with sticks, failing with every attempt. I smirk, hating them too much to offer any form of pity. Eventually Clove, who was rummaging through Cato's bag while the boys experimented with rocks, found some matches, and started the fire._

_"__Where is all the food," Clove shrieks, pulling out the berries and the rolls. "Those berries and a few measly rolls..." her voice raises and she stands up and looks at Peeta "I bet he has a secret alliance and distracted us so his ally could take the food!" _

_"I do not!" Cato yells._

_"I bet the alliance is with Katniss." Peeta says, nods a sort of cocky and annoyed kind of way, like he could have Cato on the ground dead in less than a second with a snap of his fingers. I see Clove draw a knife, but as Cato grabs his sword to defend himself, he is not quick enough. The knife digs itself into his shoulder, and he falls to the ground in pain. Clove approaches him at a painfully slowly rate, and puts her face only inches away from his. "You are pathetic… Good riddance" I hear a moan, a cannon fire, and then silence._

I open my eyes, more surprised than scared. I look around, and discover that I fell asleep on top of my bed. I smile, because when I dream of Cato's death, nothing about the dream scares me, in fact I almost feel… satisfied. He may not have been my kill, but I caused his death. I am shocked at myself for thinking such thoughts. What sort of monster have I become? My breathing becomes shallow and fast, and my heart rate rises alarmingly. Think calming thoughts… Prim, her beaming smile the day I returned, she didn't care what I did, she understood. The pounding in my chest slows, and returns to normal.

I can't keep blaming myself for this. No, it's all _his _fault. If he hadn't been such a backstabbing coward, maybe we could have teamed up to kill Clove, and one of us would have died in the battle, making the other a vengeful hero. Instead, Peeta shamed his family, and every day I feel like a savage beast for what I did.

I look out the window, with the goal of distracting myself, but when I see the familiar landscape of District 12, I almost jump for joy. Home, hunting, when I get home things might return to normal for six months or so, until the next Hunger Games, at that point I will get taken to the Capitol. But no need to dread that now, all I have to do is look presentable for the crowd outside the train, and then I will be able to return to my house.

I walk back to the bathroom to see what my prep team have to work with. Hmm, this will be their hardest challenge yet. The deep bags under my eyes look more like scars from me having them too long. My lips and bumpy from me biting them, when I look at my reflecting, I see a killer, a maniac, not the sixteen year old girl I was last year, my eyes sharp and aware. I quickly braid my hair and just as I finish tying it, I hear my prep team at the door. I let them in, and Flavius, Venia, Octavia and Cinna enter my room.

"Ok!" Octavia exclaims. "We have one hour before we arrive at the stop, let's get started!"

They talk between themselves as my hair (including eyebrows and eyelashes), makeup and clothes are applied to my body. With fifteen minutes to spare, I look in the mirror. It's amazing the things makeup can cover up. The bags under my eyes are gone, and my lips are in great shape and covered in surprisingly comfortable red lip-gloss, my eyebrows are plucked and my eyes look like they belong to the happiest person in the world, not someone who was in the Hunger Games. Instead of what I originally dressed in, I wear a crimson dress that stops at my knees, accompanied by black leggings, an orange coat and black ankle boots. My prep team asks me to do my hair in a braid, like my mother does, and while I do that I swear I see them taking notes.

The train comes to a stop, and out the window I see countless people waiting, cameras ready. In the crowd, I pick out Primrose, my mother and Gale standing together. Prim smiles, and Gale does as well, but it's a distant smile. When I walk out, I am almost blinded by all the flashes clicking at once.

"Katniss! Katniss!" people yell, reminding me of Rue' yells of fear. Before I can even cry one tear, Prim grabs me and drags me away to Gale and our mother.

"I've missed you so much!" She says holding me in an embrace.

"I've missed you too, Prim…" I murmur. I look at Gale. When he turned eighteen, he went to work in the coal mines to get money for his family, but since my games, things have been looking up. Coal has become more expensive, but the same amount (if not more) is being sold. Workers are earning a lot more, so they can bring more food home to their families and people won't starve.

"I have some news for you." He says.

"What is it?" I ask.

"The mines are being rebuilt, so for a few months we are going to be upgrading them, and when we are done they we be much safer." My eyes light up and I feel much happier than I have in weeks. I hug him, and we stand there for a few minutes, I dwell in my own happiness as I stand in his arms.

"That is amazing!" I tell him, and I can tell he strongly agrees. This means so much to us, because both of our fathers died in a mining explosion. I wish no one had to die like that ever again. No one deserves to lose their family so brutally, like Peeta's family did.


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: Chapter three is here! I hope people are enjoying this story, and I was overjoyed to receive emails telling me some people had read and liked my story! Thank you guys! This chapter is marginally smaller than the earlier two, but I am still as satisfied with it as the others. Remember to read and review! See you next chapter!**

Chapter Three:

My mother, Prim and I walk with Gale to his house. His family seem so happy to see me, and I can't help grinning. Our mother's talk, and on my way out I discreetly pass Gale's mother a pouch of coins, who smiles gratefully. On the long walk to our house, the three of us engage in small talk.

"Was the food nice?"

"Did Haymitch set a good example?"

"How big was the train?"

I happily answer these questions, but know the deeper ones will come with time. Eventually we stand outside the gates of the Victor's Village. I sigh, even though I am happy to be home again, it's seclusion reminds me of the arena, no way out unless it is open, no way in unless allowed. Prim leads me inside and we sit together. There is silence, as there is not much to talk about. Finally Prim breaks the ice.

"How was the Victory Tour?"

I decide not to lie to her, why bother? She would be able to see right through me.

"Painful. Hard." I stutter out and she wraps her arms around me.

"It's over now; you don't have to worry…" I turn my head and look at her.

"Is it? I still have to go back to the Capitol next summer, and the one after that, and train tribute after tribute and watch them all die." I can feel myself crying, but for once I don't try to stop, I just let it out.

"I won't be able to be your sister anymore…" I blubber and shut my eyes. I can feel her patting my back.

"Yes you will" She argues "we are going to get through this, I promise. Do you want to tell me what has been happening?" She sounds so grown up, like a parent talking to a toddler.

"Did you watch the games?" I ask.

"Every second of every minute, I had to make sure you were ok." I snort between my soft cries. No one goes into the Hunger Games and comes out 'ok', but I pour out my story, about the sleepless nights, and when I could sleep how it was filled with nightmares, how I would wake up screaming or crying, because I ran out of medication that made it hard for me to wake up at all. Amazingly she doesn't seem startled or amazed, and just nods solemnly. I go on about my thoughts in the arena, and how Peeta on the ground dying occupied more of my mind then basic survival skills.

By the end of it I am shaking and my eyes tightly shut. Prim hugs me tighter and we sit there together.

"Come on Katniss, you need some rest" I realise how exhausted I am. Crying is a real workout. So I find no reason to object her taking me up to my room.

"I'll see you later sis" She whispers, softly shutting the door, leaving me lying in the darkness. I am hesitant at first, but I eventually find myself nodding off.

_"__So" Clove says, a crooked smile spread across her face. "Let's eat. I suspected him all along, so I obviously grabbed some food as well." Dammit! I should have known Clove would have food on her. She produces a large box of crackers and a few bananas, making me wonder what else she has in store._

_I watch them as they eat, and almost laugh when I see Clove put her head on Peeta's shoulder. People in the Capitol may be devastated, but it just gives me another reason to kill him. I hear the anthem start to play, and see Cato's face among others projected in the sky. We are the final three. Peeta and Clove can't see the faces in the sky above the trees, and obviously see no objections to kiss. I watch, my desire to end their lives burning hotter and hotter. They chat for a while, and I manage to hear a few words._

_"…__loved you from the beginning…"_

_"… __the start I wanted you in the careers…'_

_Oh barf. Peeta offers to take the first watch, but after approximately two hours he dozes off. I do not sleep._

_I take out an arrow ready to fire, but have an idea that will send a chilling message, or rather, a burning hot one. I use my knife to cut a small portion of wood from the tree I sit in, and carve into the perfect shape of an arrow head. I cut the head off another arrow, and use my wire to tie the wooden one on. It's not pretty, but soon it won't matter. I take a match and strike it, sending the tip of the arrow into a burning blaze of heat. I glare at Peeta, eyes slitted. This will teach him. I take great care to aim, savouring the moment, (and the fact that the wire on my bow is fire proof) and when I fire the arrow, and it lands right in the middle of Clove's chest._

_As I watch her scream, while Peeta freaks out, crying while he holds her hand. After the cannon fires, realisation fills his eyes. I can almost read his thoughts as he processes the hidden warning. 'You may have been able to fool me a first, but now that your career pack is gone, the star crossed lovers are the final two. Watch your back Peeta Mellark, here comes the girl on fire.' _


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: Hello readers! I understand the story is a bit slow at the moment, but there is only going to be a couple more chapters until the reaping! Remember to read and review so I know people are interested in this story, and I love comments on my stories so do not hesitate to make one. Enjoy the chapter!**

I open my eyes, instantly remembering that I am home. I stand up and walk towards the window. For the first time in weeks I can look outside and see a landscape that isn't moving. The sun rise in District 12 is better than ever, and I am reluctant to leave my window as I watch the sun come up, colouring the sky a deep orange. Orange. Orange was Peeta's favourite colour.

My hands become a sickly white as I tightly clench the window frame. This has to stop; I need to move on from the Hunger Games, and more importantly, Peeta. I cannot help pondering over what would have been different if neither of us had been chosen. I shake my head, finding no need to torture myself with thoughts of me never entering the arena, what's done is done.

I speed down the stairs, eager to see my mother and Primrose. When I enter the kitchen, I find my mother sitting at the table. One glance at the clock and I realise I have slept in past noon.

"Good morning Katniss" my mother says merrily.

"Morning" I say, in a surprisingly genuine tone.

"Katniss, you're awake!" Primrose says. She holds a bowl of soup, creating a smell that brings back good memories of the Hob. In fact, it smells like Greasy Sae's soup. What a great breakfast. Suddenly I put two and two together. Oh no, I hope Prim didn't go to the Hob. I trust the people there, I truly do, but she is too young to be in a place like that alone. I think she can see my worried face, because she then comments "Gale dropped it off while you were asleep, a welcome home present from him, he said." I feel myself smiling, a new habit I have gotten into since returning home. Relief flows through me as we all enjoy a lovely breakfast together.

"Katniiiiss! Please can I come with you? Please!?" Primrose whines as I slip on my father's old hunting jacket and my boots. I laugh, rolling my eyes.

"Fine then Prim, you can come to the forest with me if you promise not to react like you did last time." She nods vigorously, and I remember the last time she came with me to the forest, when I tried to teach her to hunt. She was in tears when I shot a rabbit, crying and begging me to help her take it home so she could heal it, scaring all the other animals away.

"I promise!" She chirps innocently and we walk out the door, out of Victor's Village and approach the fence. For a second I listen, and as normal the fence is as silent as stone. We crawl under the fence and make our way into the depths of the woods.

With a soft wind in our faces we race up a hill.

"Hey look!" Prim says, loudly enough to chase all the animals in a five mile radius all the way to the Capitol. "Some katniss roots!" We near a small pond, and Prim gets down on her knees and starts to pick some.

"I'll find something for you to put that in" I say, annoyed with myself, and realising that I did not bring my game bag. In my defence, I wasn't going to hunt today. I leave Prim in the mud and head off to find a thick tree that I can scrape the bark off, careful to keep her in my sight. I discover a suitable tree, and pull out a knife and start to scrape the thick bark.

I hear something behind me, and quickly glance at Primrose. She is still by the pond. I return to cutting, and although I hear not footsteps, I have no problem hearing the spine tingling greeting.

"Well, fancy seeing you here, Katniss Everdeen." I freeze. Silently gulping, I turn around, putting me face to face with President Snow. I try to speak, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is a slight whimper. I consider stabbing him with the knife in my hand, but with all his power, the retaliation would probably be to kill my family, so I stay still and finally work up the courage to say something.

"Wonderful day isn't it?" His eyes show light amusement, as if a toddler had just told him that one plus five equals soap.

"Indeed it is, but may I ask why you are here in the woods if you no longer need to hunt?" My mouth drops. If he knows I hunt, then he must know about Gale coming here too, and maybe even my father.

"What do you want?" I ask rather boldly, dropping my knife to show that I will not try to murder him.

"Ah, but you see Miss Everdeen, it is not about what I want, it is about what I can offer to you."

Amongst the fear I feel, confusion sparks. What could he possibly offer me that I would want? I have all the money I need, a nice place to live, and my mother and sister are happy. Things are looking up in District 12, with more money coming in, what could I possibly need? "You see Miss Everdeen, with the snap of my fingers, I could land your sister in the most brutal games Panem has ever seen, and make coal so cheap that District 12 would become a graveyard of the bodies of men, women and children all starved to death in one week." The thought of it makes me choke. "On the other hand, I could guarantee safety for all those you care about, buy more coal so District 12 has more money, and I won't tell anyone about you and Gale coming to hunt here." I feel myself nodding, but quickly stop. It sounds too good to be true, and it probably is. What would he want me to do in exchange? Take yet another life? Move to the Capitol?

"What do you want me to do?" I ask. He smiles sinisterly, removing a disc from his pocket.

"I need you, Miss Everdeen, to become the girl you were in the arena." He presses a button on the disc, and a hologram shoots out, a slide show of me in the Hunger Games. My ferocity is clear as day, and when the shoot of my killing Peeta is shown, the world around me starts spinning, I grab a tree for support and can't help wondering what the audience thought of me in the final moments of the 74th Hunger Games. "Do we have a deal?" He asks. He wants me to sell myself out for the people I love. I deserve it for the things I have done, and it is for the safety of my family and friends, after all. Before the Hunger Games I would have said yes without thinking, and I know in my heart that I would never allow myself to change that much, which is why when President Snow asks me again there is no doubt in my reply.

"We most certainly have a deal."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone! This will be the last chapter before all this Hunger Games business begins! I'm so excited for the 75th Hunger Games... with a new twist!**

_"__Where are you?" Peeta screams. "Come and show yourself coward!" I laugh when the word coward escapes his trembling lips._

_"__So I'm the coward now am I?" I mock. He whips around, and our eyes lock; his filled with anger and fear, mine filled with something much more sinister. "I'm not the one who hid behind a career pack, and now that they are gone, it is just you and I alone in the arena." Not taking his eyes off me, he takes a machete sized knife from Clove's jacket._

_"__Well? Come fight me!" I laugh again, and shoot an arrow that hits him in his left foot. He falls to the ground, shrieking like an animal. _

_"__If you say so..." I say, sneering. I climb down from the tree and approach him. He swings his knife wildly, and a pull out my own. His may be bigger, but how much experience can he have with it? Oh. Quite a bit actually, and with that knowledge comes a long gash across my face. Blood covers my vision as he manages to stand. I do as well, and before he can get to me I run and tackle him, grabbing his knife straight out of his hand._

_I am sick of this. Peeta Mellark must end _now. _I put the knife to his throat, and watch him silently plea for his life, unable to speak with his neck under the pressure that I am applying. Even in the last moments of his life he cannot accept death. I slice through his neck and hear the cannon fire._

_"__Ladies and gentlemen! May I present the victor of the 74th__Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen!" I pull myself off Peeta's body and roll a few feet away, not daring to look at him. I just killed him. My brain cannot seem to process it properly. He died at my hands, and I personally shoved him into the arms of death. Even when I killed Clove it was with my arrows, her blood did not touch my skin, her dying breath not blown on my face, her last sight was not of me, but Peeta's was._

_I look up to see a hovercraft blocking all the artificial light from touching the ground. I shut my eyes and curl up in a ball, my face to my knees. I sob, and when I feel the iron claws picking my up off the ground, I do not dare to look back, back at Peeta's lifeless body still lying there, soaking in his own blood. Blood that I spilled. So much blood… _

I wake up to my own ear-spitting shriek. The sweat that covers my body feels like blood. My own hyperventilation gives the previously silent room the sound of a thousand pained screams. I cover my face with my hands, but tears quickly make them damp. I hear the door open but keep my eyes shielded.

"Katniss?" I hear Primrose say from the door. "Are you ok?" I nod, right now I just want to be alone, and the only way to keep Prim from worrying is telling her I am fine, even if we both know it is untrue. This has been happening for months since I got back from the Victory Tour anyway, so it is nothing I am not used to. Today was an especially bad dream, just as I expected. Because today is not ordinary day, today is the day before the reaping.

That may sound strange, as you would think that I would act this way on the day of the reaping, but this year, the Hunger Games are different. Every twenty-five years, the Capitol decides to add a sick twist to the games, the Quarter Quell, in remembrance of the rebel's defeat, as if twenty-three teenagers dying every other year weren't enough. Today the twist in the Quarter Quell will be announced, and I know it will be the worst yet.

I heave myself out of bed and dress in a green t-shirt and black pants. Before walking down stairs into the kitchen, I make a quick stop in the bathroom and clean my face with a damp towel. When I am satisfied that I don't look like a psycho, I enter the kitchen to find it empty. I hear the soft commotion of the television coming from the living room, so I open the door to find my mother and Primrose sitting together in the couch. I walk over to join them, just in time to see the Capitol emblem flash on the screen as the Panem national anthem starts to play.

"They're announcing the Quarter Quell now." Prim whispers into my ear as I sit down. I pull the knees up to my chest as President Snow appears on the screen. He hasn't changed a bit since I last saw him, that terrifying day six months ago, not a single wrinkle has been added, not a single hair has changed place or tone of white since the day the course my life changed forever. He speaks about the rebellion and the Hunger Games, but I barely listen. However when he starts to speak about the Quarter Quell, my ears perk up as I stare intently at the screen.

"In this year's Quarter Quell, tributes will undergo serious DNA alterations before entering the games." My mouth drops in horror. It disgusts me that the Capitol, with their annual killing of twenty-three teenagers, is willing to drastically reconstruct said teenagers for further entertainment. I rub my temples with my fingers and close my eyes.

I can imagine the excitement in the Career districts, children gathered with the rest of their families pumped up for tomorrow's reaping day. Then again, I can also imagine the fear and confusion that must haunt the other Districts, including my own. The teenagers and children going to bed, not only fearing for their lives, but their humanity, many will not sleep tonight.

**Hello again! Who liked me Quarter Quell twist? The next chapter will be written from someone else's point of view in the story, just to change things up. Please read and review, your comments mean so much to me! See you in the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Note: This chapter is written in Brooklyn Ivory's Point of view, please comment if you like it like that, want me to swap between Katniss and Brooklyn, or just Katniss.**

_Brooklyn Ivory P.O.V.:_

Every last syllable that President Snow pronounces sends a shiver down my spine.

"In this year's Quarter Quell, tributes will undergo serious DNA alterations before entering the games." I shake my head, as if by doing so I would somehow make this nightmare like reality disappear. How could the Capitol be that cruel? I look over at my parents and brother Kaleb. They all have a hollow look in their eyes, but say nothing, however for once in my life I will not stay silent.

"How could the Capitol be so cruel," I say. "how could they do this to us?" My mother looks at me, but I keep going. "We play along with their games, and then they do _this _to us?" I feel something burn deep inside me, I soon realise this foreign emotion is fury, what a strange feeling.

"Brook, this isn't like you, what's wrong sweetheart?" I can hear the confusion in her voice, and she is right of course. I never usually act out like this, but this is beyond terrible. I have grown up to accept the Hunger Games, but this years victor will not be able to return home the same.

"I'm going outside." I say, standing from the arm chair I sat in and running out the door and into the warm summer air. I look around, surrounded by the shops that make up the nicer part of District 12, the Merchant Section. I jog around, the soft wind blowing parts of my dark brown hair into my face, but I don't mind. The colour of my hair sets me apart from most the Merchant Section, because the majority of people who live in this part of District 12 have blonde hair.

I keep running until I have cooled down, then I start the walk home. The reaping is tomorrow, and I think about the odds of me being picked. I do not have to put my name in extra times, but I do, even though my mother and father don't know. I give the extra tesserae to my friend in the Seams, Maddison Grey. She and her family are extremely poor, and when I tried to take some of our own food to give to them, my mother got suspicious, and that was when Kaleb found out. He was surprised at first, and was going to tell our mother, but we both share selflessness in our heart, so he kept his mouth shut. I always put my name in three extra times, one for Maddison, one for her mother, and one extra for them to share (there is really no need because her father died in a mining explosion before she was born, but it makes me feel a bit better). This year she turned twelve, but I refused to let her enter her name in extra times for the Hunger Games, I would not be able to live with myself is her chances of being chosen were greater and I had done nothing about it.

Lost in thought, I don't realise how close to home I am until I actually arrive. I walk through the door to find that my family has all gone to bed. I follow their example and tiptoe upstairs and into my room. When I am under the covers I pull them up to my chin and shut my eyes. Countless minutes pass, I sigh, and know that I will not sleep well tonight.

I feel a cold arm on my shoulder. When I open my eyes I see Kaleb, dressed in his most formal clothing, his blonde hair brushed back.

"Come on, we leave in forty-five minutes Brooklyn." I nod. He leaves, softly closing the door behind him. I take a pale blue dress out of my wardrobe. I have not worn this since last year, but it was too big then, so this year it is a perfect fit. I pull a pair of white slip on shoes out of a little box and accompany them with white ankle socks. I leave my room and walk downstairs to find my entire family wearing their finest clothes.

"You look beautiful Brooklyn," My mother says, when I do not reply, she continues. "okay then, turn around and let me do your hair." I obey, and ten minutes later I look in a mirror to see that my mother has tied my hair in a tight bun with a white ribbon.

"Let's go then," my father says. "We don't want to be late."

We all nod and walk out the door. It is chilly this morning, half convincing me that the summer too scared to attend the reaping, so the Autumn must step forward to take its place. To sacrifice itself for us.

We arrive in the town square ahead of time. There are not many of us, so I take advantage of this and sign in.

"Name?" The Peacekeeper asks me.

"Brooklyn Ivory." I reply and the peacekeeper nods.

"Go into the square. Fourteen year olds are near the middle." I nod and follow the path into the chained off area in the square, where other people eligible for the reaping stand. I turn around and search for Kaleb, who I see standing further to the back. Kaleb is seventeen, so his name should be entered more than mine, but with me taking the tesserae we are entered in the same amount of times. We exchange glances as more people arrive, blocking my view of him. I see Maddison, who smiles at me and I smile back, but they are smiles of fear. I clear my head and try to focus my attention on the people on the stage. At the back of the stage I can see Effie Trinket, Haymitch Abernathy and Katniss Everdeen. Effie and Haymitch seem to be arguing, and Katniss is just staring off into space.

Obviously she saw the Quarter Quell announcement, and I cannot help wondering what she thinks of it. I realise that while I was looking at the people on the stage, more families arrived. Effie adjusts her wig, and steps forward to the microphone next to the reaping bowls. She is wearing a wig the exact shade of peppermint, and her white dress is covered in green swirls. Her pale face is decorated with similar patterns and her green lips part as she welcomes us. I listen but don't dare to peel my eyes away from the female reaping bowl. My name is in there six times.

"Alright then, ladies first." Effie exclaims and puts a gloved hand into the bowl and pulls out a card. "The female tribute for the 75th Hunger games is…" I hear the girls beside me hold their breath. "Brooklyn Ivory!"

Hundreds of eyes fall over me, and the other tributes clear a path. I feel all the air escape my lungs in a matter of seconds, and I am left standing there, breathless. I must show no fear; for the sake of those I love I can't make my death more painful than it already is. I nod and walk forward towards the stage, even though my heart tells me to run. Run far away from here. I stand on the stage and face the crowd. I see Maddison crying, but what I see next warms my heart. My brother approaches Maddison and they stand together, both trying hard not to cry, but together. This makes me do something I have never seen a tribute do on reaping day before. I smile. I smile because I know Maddison will be okay, and that is all I want.

"Ok, time for the boy tribute." Effie says, putting the same hand into a different bowl. "And the male tribute for the 75th Hunger Games is…" I hear her pause to add suspense. "Troy Gapple!"

I see a boy, about seventeen years old, make his way towards the stage. He has black hair and his eyes are the darkest brown I have ever seen. "There you have it District 12, your male and female tributes for the 75th annual Hunger Games, the third Quarter Quell!" We shake hands, and I can see sadness in Troy's eyes, sadness that must be in mine too.

We are taken to the Justice Building to say our last goodbyes. First in is Maddison, who runs over and hugs me tightly.

"This is all my fault!" She wails. "If I hadn't taken your tesserae you wouldn't be in the games! I'm so sorry!"

"It isn't your fault Maddison, I chose to give it to you, please don't blame yourself." My voice sounds so strange, I don't think she has even seen my so serious, yet scared. I wanted her to know, that even if I die in the Hunger Games, I will not regret helping her. She says nothing, and we hug in silence until the peacekeeper takes her away. Next is Kaleb. "You have to look after her Kaleb, please." He nods and we embrace.

"I promise I will Brooklyn, but only if you try to win for us."

I nod, not able to find any words to say to him. We are both lost for words, and I manage to look him in the eyes for what might be the last time ever before he is escorted out of the room by a peacekeeper. My parents enter the room, and holding back the tears is so hard to hurts.

"I can't believe they are taking our baby girl!" My mother says, blubbering.

"It's okay; you'll be alright without me, I know it." I say.

"Be strong for us," My father says. "we believe in you Brooklyn." I know, and when they are taken out, I am left alone in the Justice Building.


	7. Chapter 7

As we walk towards the train, I can feel butterflies in my stomach.

What if nobody wants to ally with me?

What if nobody likes me?

I feel my shoes connect with hard concrete as I stand on the train platform. I look back at my old home, these moments could be my last surrounded by people I love and know. A tear tries to escape my eyes; by I cage it and hurry onto the train. I almost let out a laugh when realisation hits me like a wave of hot wind. I can't believe the first thing I worry about is being accepted, I am going to die, and I need to start thinking about myself.

I walk in to find Katniss and Haymitch sitting at a table together, Haymitch holding a small glass of clear liquid.

"You're on sweet heart." He says to Katniss, and puts his glass on his head while Katniss watches a clock that hangs on the wall beside her. When she looks back at him it is still on his head.

"Wow." Katniss says nodding. "I owe you my dessert then."

He nods, and they both look up at me. I stand in silence, and Troy walks in behind me.

"I don't know about you guys, but I am _starving_," He says. "let's eat."

Haymitch shrugs. "Ok then, where's Effie?"

As if on cue, Effie walks in and stares disapprovingly at both of them, and then looks at Troy and I.

"Come sit down kiddos, we have lots to discuss!"

We sit down as an Avox brings in a tray of sweet smelling cakes, muffins, and things I do not even recognise. We are each handed plates, and when the Avox leaves Effie wastes no time trying to load us with Hunger Games strategies, but she fails to mention anything about the DNA alterations until Troy interrupts her.

"Yea Effie that's great, but I think I speak for all of us when I say I would like to know about the DNA changes, they are going to be a big game changer, correct?" He leads back in his chair and crosses his arms.

Effie seems startled at his rudeness, and I am no different. Effie is here to help us, and she should be treated with respect. I don't want to say anything, so I scowl at Troy… inside my head.

"Well… not much has been said about those, but we know you will be receiving them the day after we reach the Capitol"

"So you don't know what cool superpowers we'll get?"

Haymitch cracks up, earning a hard stare from Effie.

"No sweetheart," She says, quickly smiling again. "but you will know when we get to the capitol!"

I stare awkwardly at the ground as the room falls silent.

"How long does it take to get to the Capitol?" I ask softly to no one in particular.

"Usually a couple of days, more or less." Katniss says, and I nod.

We spend a couple more hours discussing tactics, but we slowly start to change to small talk, and then there is silence again. We all go our separate ways, and I am shown to my room. I immediately head for the bathroom and strip off my clothes, I need a good shower. I step in, and instead of the simple showers we have at home, I find a series of buttons. I know the Capitol have things more complicated than us, but this is really over the top.

I press a button at random, and colds water spurts out from all sides. I hastily press the button again, and it stops. I resist folding my arms over my chest and press another button with SH² printed on it. Before I can even jerk my hand away, purple foam is squirted onto my head. I take this as a victory and rub it in. I press another button and burning hot water sprays me from every angle. The steam blinds me, and I slip and fall onto the button panel, pressing at least twenty of them. I feel a brush go through my hair and many different smelling soaps are squirted onto my body in different places. In some places I am burning from the hot water, and in some places I swear I am turning into an ice-cube! In panic I press more buttons, and all at once everything seems to stop. I feel a hot gust of wind and when I try to escape the cubicle the door seems to be locked.

When I am about to scream for help I feel something being pushed into my mouth, coated in a minty paste. I feels like it is covered in hair, and when it is finally removed after a few minutes cold water is squirted into my mouth. After the terrible taste is gone I spit and force the shower door open, grabbing a towel and escaping the bathroom. I dry the parts of me that haven't been withered from the blast of hot air and dress in a pair of green pyjamas that have been neatly folded on my bed. Ignoring the fact that someone came in here I climb into bed.

I dream over and over again of my parents dying, and arriving in the Capitol to be immediately slaughtered. I wake up every time to find myself covered in sweat, but I resist going back into the bathroom and stay put. This will be one of many restless nights.


	8. Chapter 8

Brooklyn's P.O.V.

After careful debating I finally decide to get up. I am long out of my room moments after my feet touch the soft carpet. I sit in the hallway in silence, until I hear a bang, followed by weeping. I freeze. I look down the hallway one way, then the other. I get to my feet and slowly walk to the room at the end or the corridor and knock softly on the door.

"Troy?" I whisper. He doesn't reply, but I hear the soft click of the door unlocking. I open it and see him. Troy, the boy who looked so strong just mere hours ago, is now shaking and covered in tears. He looks up at me with an expression that reveals to me that he has been holding in his emotions in for much longer than he should have, now he is a mess.

I sit down next to him, and instead of trying to comfort him, I pass him a tissue.

"I can't win, I'm not good enough." He manages, and I say the only thing I can think of.

"We all lose… even the ones who survive."

I open my eyes, long past the point of fearing the nightmares that plague my sleep. It has been two days since we left District 12 and looking out my window I notice we are very close to the Capitol. I quickly dress and head out of my cabin and into the Dining Room. For the first time, I am alone in the Dining Room, so I fill up my plate and sit down, waiting.

As time passes, the Dining Room slowly fills with people, as does the window. All we can see from the outside world are the faces of thousands of Capitol citizens, desperate to see us. I could go so far to say that the way they look scares me, which is true. If this is their definition of normal, what will we become?

I give a small awkward wave, Troy joins me. We stand there, my eyes trying to catch a glimpse of each and every person, until the train comes to a stop.

"Come along children, I'll lead the way." Effie says as the train doors open. I jump back, expecting them to flood the train, but they are stopped by long red ropes hanging from short poles of gold. We quickly get out of the train and make our way into a tall building and get into an elevator. Unlike the ones in the mines of District 12, this is a very elegant thing that even has music. "Since you are from District 12, we get to stay at the very top, isn't that exciting?" She says cheerfully, but nobody replies. "Well, here we are."

Katniss's P.O.V.

I didn't know what to expect. Would it be different, or would it be the same? That's what I pondered over on the way here, but when I saw the building for the second time in my life I knew it would be different. The whole building, even the elevator, looked more safe and secure, as if they were preparing for an attack. I knew that they were going to disassemble all the tributes, and put in so much power that they have to readjust themselves in order to be safe.

I looked over at the two tributes. Brooklyn and Troy, both fourteen, neither will be human by this time tomorrow.

"Ok kiddos, it's time to go." Effie says to the tributes, and they nod. "We'll be back later." She says, addressing Haymitch and myself this time, and then they are gone.

"Well… I'm going to see some other mentors" Haymitch declares. "don't seclude yourself for too long." With that he disappears, leaving me all alone.

I have spent so little time here, but I know it will build up over the years until my death. I can just imagine me at age sixty, trying to give tactical advice to a twelve year old. It sickens me. I decide to go for a walk to clear my head. I wander the halls of the building, looking for nothing in particular until I hear a voice.

"Hey!" I turn around and see a girl with long brown hair approaching me. I remember back in my old run down home seeing her on our family television. She is a victor, like me. If only I could remember her name…

"I'm Johanna, from seven." I nod.

"Katniss, twelve." She smiles, revealing almost all of her perfectly white teeth.

"Let me be the first to welcome you to our messed up family of victors, Katniss." We both laugh a little, but then I realise the seriousness that came with her remark. "I think you'll fit right in, now come on, I'll introduce you to the others."

Brooklyn's P.O.V.

The table I lie on is so cold. The surgeons enter the room, their strange unnatural features hidden behind white masks. I feel something being pulled over my face, and my eyes start to droop until I am too tired to open them. I hear their chatter slowly swell into a soft mumble as I drift off to sleep.

Katniss's P.O.V.

I sit in a comfy lounge chair next to Johanna, surrounded by other Victors. Haymitch is nowhere to be seen, most likely in a bar of some sort with his drinking buddies. Suddenly the television comes to life and steals everyone's attention in a matter of seconds. There are murmurs of confusion, and nobody notices when I make a small yelp as the chair gives me a small electric shock. I turn to look at it, and notice a tiny slip of paper between the seat and the arm that wasn't there before. I pull it out and examine it, and what I find on it chills my soul.

_Katniss Everdeen was the girl on fire,_

_but what happens when the fire is put out?_

_You are left with ashes,_

_but what arises from the ashes?_

_The Phoenix._


End file.
